All of the puppies seized in a sting at Belfast Port this week, will spend Christmas and New Year in the warmth and safety of emergency foster homes.
Hundreds of people have offered the pups homes but they will not be made available for adoption until January 2023 when applications and home checks will be processed by Mid Antrim Animal Sanctuary and Almost Home Animal Rescue NI.
The 29 pups, with an estimated street value of around £30,000, are Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds plus a number of cross breeds, and have now been given health checks and names.
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They were seized after port staff in Belfast spotted discrepancies in paperwork of the dog transporter who was on the way to GB with the live cargo. The staff, working with DAERA, Belfast Harbour Police and Belfast City Council, ensured the dogs were taken to safety and removed from the lucrative Christmas market.
It is understood these pups were from unbooked pre-Christmas sales bred form bitches in Ireland and were being taken to GB where the market for pups continues to thrive.
Margaret Wade from Mid Antrim Animal Sanctuary, which took in 10 of the puppies, told DogsLive: "They are safe. They are all safe and we'll do everything in our power to give them the best new start now that we have them.
"We took in 10 of these wee pets and they've been health checked by our vet and all appear at the moment to be in decent health and a pretty decent weight. Eight of the 10 are pretty playful and two are quite quiet but that is to be expected. They need a bath and will have lots of good food and plenty of rest.
"They've now had their first inoculations and they will be chipped so their microchip details can be passed to their new family when they are adopted in the new year.
"The first thing we did was to make sure each of them had a name to carry them to the next part of their journey and of course we had to choose a Christmas theme so they're called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph and finally Nicholas.
"There's no doubt that one look at any of these pups would melt your heart but that's exactly what puppy farmers rely on and while it's hard to resist, we have to once again urge the public to stop buying pups from unverified sources.
"Low welfare puppies have a terrible start to life, they are at risk of many illnesses and diseases, of breeding and genetic issues, of behavioural and emotional issues and their poor mums live a life of hell until they die. Please do not be a part of that."
A DAERA spokesperson said: “We would also like to extend our thanks to our portal staff for their diligence and swift action in this case."
SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter reacted to news of the seizure, and said: "It’s incredibly sad that these defenceless animals fell into the hands of people who wanted to traffic them for profit. I commend the efforts of the council’s animal welfare team, DAERA investigators and harbour police who worked together and intervened to stop them being trafficked.
“I hope that all these animals will now find loving homes and would remind the public to remain vigilant when buying a new pet, ensuring they go through the proper channels and to report any suspicious behaviour to the relevant authorities to ensure that animals are kept safe and traffickers are apprehended and brought to justice.
“The SDLP, led by our DAERA Spokesperson Patsy McGlone, have been fighting alongside animal rights organisations for an All Island Animal Cruelty Register which could keep animals out of the hands of abusers and prevent those who have convictions from purchasing animals or getting a license to breed or sell them.
"If we’re ever going to get to grips with this issue then we need robust legislation and greater cross-border cooperation to make it harder for traffickers to operate on this island."
The Paws for Thought Group said: “We wish to reiterate our message that people think long and hard before deciding to get an animal this Christmas. Prospective dog owners should check the guidance available online before thinking about getting a pup. If you must buy a pup, only use a licenced breeder.”
Whilst the enforcement activities undertaken by statutory agencies is critical in detecting and deterring the illegal trade in low welfare pups, the public’s help is essential to combating this abhorrent trade.
The Paws for Thought Group continued: “Anyone encountering anything suspicious, or with information about persons possibly involved in the illegal breeding and sale of pups, can report their concerns to the Department, Harbour Police, councils or the PSNI, or by emailing: pawsforthought@daera-ni.gov.uk ”
Patrick Brown, Alliance MLA, said: "It is positive to see effective multi-agency working to seize and re-home these poor animals, but much more needs to be done to tackle the puppy trade – both legal and illegal – not just at Christmas but all year round.
"There are only a handful of registered breeders in each council area, with none in Belfast or Derry-Londonderry. Given the huge number of pups currently being bred and advertised online, this suggests a total failure to enforce current animal welfare legislation, and the need for additional resources to make any headway in tackling this issue.
"Alliance is committed to bringing forward fresh legislation in a restored Assembly to better regulate and control dog breeding in Northern Ireland.”
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